Design Musings

When that Lightbulb Above Your Head Lasts a Quarter of a Century

Revision has been tying me down and all forms of procrastination have been welcome, so it was no surprise that my meanderings on Facebook led to a small discovery pointed out by a friend. Philips have created something amazing… Amazing enough to drag me away from revision. Yes, it is a flat lightbulb. What is so great about this? Let me enlighten you.

The SlimStyle by Philips was originally created because there was a federal ban on production of 40-Watt and 60-Watt incandescent bulbs on 1st January 2014 in the USA. This was to force the population to switch to more efficient lightbulbs narrowing the market down to LEDs and CFLs. But let’s face it, no one really likes that fluorescent LED light compared to the warm yellow glow of an ‘old’ lightbulb and, in that case, why spend more on LED lights? This is where Philips steps in.

Light and Brightness

SlimStyle is a lightbulb that emits similar light colouring and brightness as the old 60-Watt incandescent bulb. It doesn’t even flicker and rather than waiting for the bulb to warm up, you just need to flip the switch and you’ll have the instant full brightness of the light.

Energy, Efficiency and Elegance

Now to compare. It is said that the SlimStyle lasts 25 times longer than our trusty 60-Watt incandescent bulbs. A halogen lightbulb lasts 1,000 hours, an existing LED bulb lasts about 10,000 hours and a SlimStyle last 25,000 hours. Yes, that’s approximately 23 years if lit for 3 hours a day. Sounds good for a desk lamp if you ask me! It also reduces energy consumption by 85%, supposedly bringing electricity savings of £80 over a lifetime. Moreover, this traditional looking super lightbulb is made to bring the same trusty authentic feel of the old standard bulb. All this for approximately £6.

If we’re lucky, Philip’s SlimStyle will take off in the US and spread to the UK. This pancaked lightbulb is not only an efficient money saving little product, but it also casts light on the environment and our need to reduce on electricity consumption. Why not pull the plug on our bad habits and screw in a light that keeps us both traditional and green.